Tone-modulating device for musical instruments.



N0. 660,38L Patented Oct. 23, I900. E. KLABER.

TONE MODULATING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILE KLABER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

TONE-MODULATING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,381, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed March 6, 1900. Serial No. 7,509. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMILE KLABER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone-Modulating Devices for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is applicable to pianos or analogous musical instruments constructed with hammers and strings struck thereby, and is particularly designed for use with such instruments when played by a mechanical attachment in connection with tune-sheets or the like.

The object of my improvement is to enable the operator to modulate the volume of sound in a mechanically operated piano, so as to avoid the monotony and mechanical effect produced by self-playing instruments when not provided with means for modulating the volume or duration of tone.

To this end my invention consists in an oscillating device preferably operated by a hand-lever connected by one end to the device by which the dampers are raised to produce prolonged tones and by the other end to the back-rest bar of the hammers, so that when it is oscillated in one direction the dampers will be raised to produce forte effect and when it 'is oscillated in the'other direction the back-rest bar of the hammers will be raised so as to shorten their stroke and produce piano effect.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the hammer and damper mechanism of a piano with my invention ap plied. Fig. 2 is a partial rear view of the ends of the same, omitting the central portion and the hammers and dampers.

The hammers H are fulcrumed on a rod h, mounted in frames F, fixed in the main frame of the instrument in customary manner by suitable screws and brackets F. (One shown.) The back-rest bar R of the hammers is likewise fulcrumed on a rod 0' in the frames F to permit forward and backward movement of said back-rest to vary the length and consequent force of stroke of the hammers. The

dampers D are mounted in a fulcrum-bar B, oscillating on a rod 19, mounted in the fixed an and impelled forward by springs b to press the dampers in contact with the strings S. All these parts are of the common construction shown or other well-known and suitable construction, and the jacks and usual mechanism for operating the hammers and dampersin playing do not require representation or description.

The oscillating device which I employ to produce piano and forte effects consists of a lever '51, fulcrumed at 51 and connected by a link etl with the downwardly-projecting arm of a bell-crank lever 52, fulcrumed at 52, the horizontal arm of which is connected by a riser-bar 42 with an arm 54, fixed by setscrew 54L on a rock-shaft 55, on which is also fixed by set-screw 56 a two-armed lever 56 58, of which the arm 56 is connected bya cord 59 with the heel of the damper fulcrum-bar B, so as to draw up the projecting heel of the bar and raise the dampers out of contact with the strings S when the shaft is rocked in one direction. The other arm 58 of the lever is connected by a cord 60 to the back-rest bar R of the hammers, so to advance the said hammers toward the strings S when the shaft 55 is rocked in the other direction.

From the above description it will be understood that if the lever 51 be moved to the left from the position shown in Fig 1 the bar 4.2 being drawn down will rock the shaft 55 to the right and raise the dampers D from the strings, as in the case of the loud pedal in ordinary pianos, or if the lever 51 be moved to the right the bar 42 will be pushed up, rocking the shaft 55 to the left, thus raising the back-bar R and the hammers resting thereon, as is done with a common form of soft-pedal attachment.

When the lever 51 isin the position shown in Fig. 1, the soft and loud pedals of the piano can be used in the ordinary way. The device does not interfere in any manner with playing on the instrument by hand.

The following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with the rocking fulcrum-bar B on which the dampers are mounted and the hinged rest-bar R on which the hammers are supported; of an oscillating device as 56, 58, connected at its opposite ends by flexible ties 59, 60 to the damper fulcrumbar B and hammer-rest B respectively, so as to retract the dampers When oscillated in one direction and advance the hammers when oscillated in the other direction, as explained.

2. The combination of the rocking levers 51, and 56, 58, suitable connections 41, 52, 42, 5t, 55; flexible ties 59, 6O damper fulcrum-bar Band ham mer-rest Rfor retracting the dampers or ad vancing the hammers by the reverse movement of the lever 51 as explained.

3. The combination of the rocking levers 51, 52 connecting-rods 41, 4-2, lever-arms 54:, 56, 58, rock-shaft 55, flexible ties 59 60 rocking damper fulcrum-bar B and hinged hamm er-rest R, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the damper-lifting mechanism and ham mer-rest mechanism of a piano, a rocking lever 51 and connections be EMILE KLABER.

Witnessesi JEROME CARTY, ROY PENDLETON. 

